Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday! The kids and I had a truely blessed day. The kids listend and for the first time we went around our entire block. I was surprised at how many people participate. In one block and 3 cul-de-sac's, the kids managed to fill their buckets. It also took us over an hour to walk the block. Unfortunately, I did not get a lot of pictures. The ones I did get were poor quality.

May I just say that I am blessed to have four wonderful children. I wasn't able to get them any fancy costumes, nor did I make the time to make them costumes. They came up with their own and were very happy to do so. Wonderful imaginations. I am proud of my children for being so thoughtful and kind and imaginative. We had a great night together.

In other news, we are moving. Finally. Pray that it all comes together.

When in doubt when writing your contractions

Just write them like this.

could'of

My son is taking his pretest for spelling and he didn't know how to spell it, so he took the easy way out. I told him the easy way out is rarely the right way. He's now writing his words two times each. Work for it, work for it!

A morning at the Track

OK, so not really a "morning." More like twenty minutes in the car waiting on other Mommies to show up and then twenty minutes at the track watching the horses train. It was cold! One of the trainers brought his horse up to the fence so the kids could pet her. My son was the only one who wanted to. That was his entire goal of the morning: to pet one of the horses. He was ready to go after that. I was ready, too. I didn't feel comfortable standing next to the track like that. I felt like we were scaring the horses and distracting them. One of the trainers even told us so in not so many words, but I already knew it before he said something.

Um, "Yup, it's Tuesday?"

I'm taking a breather. I woke up at 7:30 and was immediately grumpy. I had been up in the middle of the night because my youngest was screaming "Blanky on, Blanky on!" I can't not put it on, because he will keep screaming and wake everyone up. I wasn't eager for that to happen at 4:30 in the morning, ya know?

I got up, started the shower for Jacob and then hopped in my own shower. Got us clean, then was in the mad rush to get everyone dressed and ready for school. Alan calls right in the middle of the chaos and asks me to read him the plates number off of the van to get an ID pass for Bessy (my van, lol) for the new base we are moving to. Big eye roll, but OK. So I go out there and all these half dressed kids followed me out. So I've got four kids in various stages of dress running around outside exclaiming how the cold is affecting their various body parts. I was trying to usher them all back inside to finish dressing and the Hubby wanted to know HIS plates numbers. Um, yeah, off the very car that was in the parking lot in the state HE was in. Not me. So he told me to look on the insurance paperwork. VIN number, but no plates number. He kept telling me it was there, but I read off everything off of the card to him. Nope, nothing there. I could tell he didn't believe me, but I did what I could do. I know he was on the boat and all, but it was a heck of a lot easier for him to ask to go out to look at his car that it was for me to take a twelve hour road trip to look for him. I'm sure I would have handled all that better if I didn't have four kids that needed to be directed to get ready to school. It's chaos every morning at the exact time he called. Tightly controlled chaos. As long as I am in the mix and calmly telling each child what to do, everything goes OK. But as soon as I went outside, my ball-of-controlled-chaos-quickly-unraveled-into-a-mob-of-hysterically-excited-streaking-children.

I love ya, Alan, but just five minutes would have made all the difference in the world. I hope you found your plate number, I know you needed to get that information in.

Yup, it's Monday

There is no doubt about it. Today is a manic Monday. My day started with me waking up to kids screaming and running pretending to be ancient villagers and chasing each other with pieces of toys that they had broken off. Then I discovered that Aidan had decided his bangs were too long, so he hacked them off with scissors. "But Mommy, I looked in the mirror, so I look cute." I'll send pictures out later. I tried to even it out, and it actually made it worse. Come on, payday! The day kept going along with weird occurrences and finally ended with my youngest picking up an unwrapped *dirty* diaper thinking it was his clean one. I caught it and thought all was well until he started whining "Poop! Poop!" Yup indeedy, he had stepped in a big ball of poo that had fallen out of his diaper. So a second bath for him, and I got to clean the carpet.

Good thing tomorrow is Terrific Tuesday!

Parenting Class

Last year the kids and I took a parenting class called the ABC's of Parenting through my children's school. It's a free school sponsored voluntary program. The kids and I really enjoyed going so I asked the school if I could take it again this year if there was room. It turns out that hardly anyone was interested and there was only one other Mommy there besides me tonight. The instructor who ran the parent's classes last year is now instructing the children this year and there is a new instructor for parents this year. Completely different styles. One is not better than the other, but I already took so many new things away from just one class that I did not pick up on last year. I'm really glad I decided to join in this year again. We had to run an errand right after the class tonight because it had to be taken care of. It was already late, so I was worried about taking four cranky kids. I used some of the techniques that were offered to me tonight and all I can say is WOW. One example is that the kids were running all over the place and I asked them to stay right in the section I was where I could see them. Just my youngest and my daughter listened. I praised them up and down and didn't say anything to the boys. The boys instantly listend so they could get praise, too. Amazing. Then later, I told my five-year-old to turn the light off by his seat because I had a hard time seeing. He turned it back on again and I told him very clearly that if he turned the light on again, I would take his new toy he received in class tonight and keep it until morning. (Which meant he wouldn't get the ten minutes of play I told him he could have once we got home.) The light went off, but ten minutes later he snapped the light back on. I asked him to hand me his toy. He and his brother started argueing and asking for one more chance. I told him that was his chance, and he had the power to choose to listen and keep his toy, or not listen and lose his toy. He made the choice. Instant quiet. I didn't have to raise my voice at all. The kids have their own little class while we parents are having our class, so I'm hoping it wasn't that post class glow. We shall see how the week goes.

Trying not to give into the negativity

You know, every time I think my youngest is doing awesome, I find myself in a situation where I can see that he is still very much behind. I keep trying to tell myself that it doesn't matter how behind he is - he has made so many positive steps and he is doing just incredible for himself. I need to remind myself of this every day.

Just 17 months ago, he wasn't making a single sound. He didn't interact with "outsiders" at all. He *had been saying "Da!" for everything, but that had dropped off of the spectrum, too. He was just a silent, staring little boy. Now he is three years and four months old and he still doesn't interact well with "outsiders", but at home he chatters up a storm. He amazes me daily with his four and five word sentences. I take pride and confidence in the fact that he thrives around those he loves. Who cares that if he doesn't interact with anyone but me in Sunday School? (I teach his class). Who cares if he ignores everyone at school? I know in my heart and he knows in his how far he has really come. Yeah, I was a little upset at his IEP for this year. It looks like an IEP that belongs to a 24 or 25 month old, but we will deal with this. I am worried about our impending move and what it will do to him to lose his very best friend and his very special Speech Pathologist. I just have to trust that things will be OK and that God will hold him steady through the changes. I, naturally, will be right there holding his hand and reassuring him that everything will be OK.

Here is a little video of my little guy. I'm sorry, I can't figure out how to rotate it. He's getting his groove on! (Please note...that's Hubby's music choice, not mine! Robby loved the beat).

I almost forgot

The setting: A small group of children sitting in the front of the Church with the adult leading the Children's Moment. She has my son blowing bubbles and then asks the other children how they reacted. They all reached out to pop the bubbles. The discussion: What kinds of things do you blow out from yourself (to spread the love of God was implied) for people to reach out for? My third-grader's answer: Carbon Dioxide! The congregation just busted up, I tell you. The leader played it off with a giggle. "Yes, if we get into some science, that is correct. But how do you blow love from your heart?"

A grand time

So Daddy was here and we had a grand time. We spent a couple days at the Ren Faire and we spent some time with the kids. The Highlight of our time together, I think, was Alan wearing a kilt into a major mall. I love my Hubby. I felt like a mushroom in an apple pie at first, but then it didn't bother me. Strange how your Hubby receiving wolf whistles from men can make you feel better. ::big grins::

We went to see a muscial at a Cabaret. It was "Jesus Christ Super Star." I loved the talent and the acting and singing, but I can't say I really liked the musical. It was disturbing on so many levels.

I'm finding that it is getting more and more difficult each time when the Hubby leaves. I'm really looking forward to being a united family full time again.

I only managed to get a few pictures over the week. ::hangs head in shame:: Hopefully I'll do better in the future. Most of the pictures speak for themselves. :-)

The move went well

I hope. This is my beloved AOL Journal that I have moved to Blogger since AOL is shutting down Hometown. I have been journaling for four years now. I can't even believe it! I have a lot to update on. Hopefully I will get to it this weekend! If you are new here, take a minute to get to know us! My name is Shel, and I have four absolutely gorgeous children. I'm not biased at all, of course. The Hubby does the Navy thing while the kids and I hold down the fort. It gets crazy sometimes, but together we always pull through.